


Let the Springtime talk

by Hamiloki



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Jedi Apprentice Series - Jude Watson & Dave Wolverton, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Animal Transformation, Any and all slash is between human adults!, Best Friends, Fluff, Fox!Obi-Wan, Foxes, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, I went all Disney in the end and I am not sorry, Jinnobi Challange 2020, Jinnobi Challenge, Kid Fic, M/M, Magic, Missing Persons, Nature Magic, No beta we die like Valkyries, So don't worry, Sort of..., Talking Animals, Telepath!Qui-Gon, Telepathy, This is the longest thing I've ever written, Urban Fantasy, animal injury, bearded obi-wan, because I say so, yay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:21:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27183064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hamiloki/pseuds/Hamiloki
Summary: "Only what is whole can fix what what is broken."...Lost in the woods, young Obi-Wan is changed forever. But with the help of a kind stanger, things might not be as gloomy as they seem.
Relationships: Bant Eerin & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Original Female Character/Original Female Character (background), Qui-Gon Jinn & Tahl (Star Wars), Qui-Gon Jinn/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	Let the Springtime talk

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Jinnobi Challange 2020
> 
> Through writers block and bouts of depression, I have made it through my longest work yet and I have never bben prouder. I love this story and put my heart and soul into finishing it on time.
> 
> Many greetings go out to the lovely Luenor (idk how to lonk people lol) who sufferd through my screams of "Stop me from procrastinating!" and "Is this good? Please tell me this is good. Please validate me!". You did an amazing job in enduring my whining. <3
> 
> Titel taken from Alpenglow by Nightwish
> 
> What's left to say but: Enjoy this work and leave your thoughts in the comments!
> 
> \- Cheers, Hamiloki

_15 years ago, in a small town…_

The day our story begins was, surprisingly or maybe not, quite ordinary in every way. Summer was nearing its end, crisp gusts of wind breaking up the thick blanket of early September heat more of than not.

Still, the weather was just right for playing outside, Obi-Wan thought to himself as he crossed the street, his relaxed stroll breaking into running when he spotted his best friend Bant leaving her house to meet him halfway. Spending his first day at school without the slightly younger girl had been terribly boring in his opinion so he was very happy to see her now and discuss everything he had done and seen today.

“You have to come and see the new plants in our pond, Obi!” Bant greeted her friend excitedly, her big eyes glittering in the way they always did when she was eager to show something really important to her friends and family.

The Eerin family’s garden was quite large, even for their cosy, countryside town, skimming the edge of the nearby forest. Declared off limits by most parents, the dark depths had often tempted children to explore and sometimes get a little lost among the rows of trees and vegetation. They had always shown up again after an hour or two, of course, unharmed but scaring their parents half to death.

Thus far, Obi-Wan and Bant had never gone far beyond the property line, too scared of the dark and the noises coming from afar to wander further than they should.

“But you’re big now, Obi! So we can finally go and look what’s in the middle of the forest!” Bant whined at him, now. They had gotten bored of the pond and the games they had played in the garden, so Bant had suggested going on an exploration tour of the woods. Obi-Wan really wasn’t so sure of the whole thing. His gut told him not to go, something was off.

“Please Bant. I don’t want to...” he murmured, inspecting the grass rather than look into his friends pleading eyes. 

“Come on! I’ll even let you choose everything we’re gonna play for the next month!”

Sighing, Obi-Wan nodded. “All right, I’ll come with you…” he said, earning himself an excited giggle from the small girl in front him, who instantly grabbed him by the hand and ran into the darkness in front of them.

The first few hundred metres were familiar to him, almost every tree, root and stone somehow having been implemented into the two friends’ various games. But the further they went, the less orientated he became. What direction were they going? Where did they come from? He glanced around nervously, trying to memorise his surroundings as best as possible. Somehow, they had to get back after their... well… adventure, he supposed.

They stopped suddenly when they, in unison, stumbled over a low stone wall. As Obi-Wan looked around he recognized the ruins they had come across had once been a small house. Now, however, all that was left were a few pieces of the walls on some broken furniture. 

“Someone must have lived here...” he mused quietly, making Bant giggle. “Like a witch or something?” she asked, seeming to genuinely consider the odds of having a witch as a neighbour for a second or two. Obi-Wan got up, shaking his head. “Don’t be silly, come on. Let’s go back.”

But no answer came. “Bant?” Obi-Wan glanced around quickly, trying to find where his friend had wandered off to. This wasn’t good. “Bant, this really isn’t funny… Bant? Come on, I want to go home.” Still, the only answer he got was the chirping of the birds and the wind softly whispering through the leaves. He took a hesitant step into the direction they came from. He had to find her or he would never make it back. Swallowing his fear, he continued to move.

She couldn’t have gotten far, the boy thought, though he had no idea where he should look. He once again surveyed his surroundings. Nothing between the tress or behind the crumbling facade of the little cottage. Nothing in the bushes. He called out another time, but still, no reply. He should just go home, he thought, maybe Bant got just as scared as him and had already left. Maybe she thought, he was right behind her. But what direction was home, again?

He tried to remember where he had fallen but came up blank. Sniffling, he sat down on a lower bit of stone. He was lost. He knew this had been a bad idea from the start, so why had he agreed to go. Stupid, that’s what their idea had been. Now he was stuck here. 

Pulling his knees up to his chest, he let his head sink, tiny sobs slowly breaking the silence of the forest around him.

~*~*~*

He didn’t know what time it was, how long he had sat there, not looking up one second. When he risked, the sun was already setting, warm, orange light filtering through the thick leaves above is head and filling the space between the tree trunks. Obi-Wan might have thought it pretty if he weren’t lost with nowhere to go.

With his eyes unfocused, still wet with tears, he stared into the woods, not really looking at anything, wanting nothing more than to go home. 

He almost jumped out of his skin when he heard quiet breathing behind him, the gentle footfalls of… Four? Yes, four legs, getting closer. He held his breath, trying not to move as best as he could. His hands trembled harder, the louder the leaves crunched behind his back. This had just gotten so much worse. Maybe if he started running right now, he would be able to outrun whatever was-

Something wet softly nudged him in the cheek, then something very carefully… Sniffed at him?

Obi-Wan turned his head, hoping dearly not to find anything wanting to eat him this close to his face. Instead, he looked into warm brown eyes. A doe gazed down on him with a look that oddly reminded Obi-Wan of his mother when she came into his room and found him sick or just sad. He shook his head a little. No, the doe was simply curious, it probably lived around here somewhere.

Again, the soft nose touched Obi-Wan’s cheek and warm fur tickled him softly when the doe nuzzled him fully, pressing up to him. He couldn’t suppress a small giggle at that, pressing back just a little to see if the doe would react to him. In turn, it pushed him off the wall he was sitting on.

“Hey!” Obi-Wan pouted, but the doe just stepped over the stones and nudged him another time before taking a few steps into the woods.

The boy sat back down, watching as she walked away slowly. Great, now what, he thought. 

Turning her head, the doe stopped and looked at him intensely. For a split-second Obi-Wan thought he had seen her nod. No, that was just his imagination. She took another few steps and then again turned.

“What do you want from me? I’m just as lost as you…” Obi-Wan whispered, holding her stare. There was something oddly knowing about the doe’s eyes. Something… Almost… Human. He blinked. The doe was still intently staring at him, never breaking off their eye contact. And this time he really saw it gently nodding its head into the direction it was going.

Obi-Wan stood, hesitating a few more seconds before approaching the animal with small, insecure steps. The doe stood, ears twitching but otherwise patiently waiting for the small boy to reach her. When he was close enough to touch, she nudged him one last time before taking off much deeper into the forest. Obi-Wan knew he should have been scared, wandering even further from where he had come from. But something told him that this was right, that following a wild animal seemed the right choice.

Around them, the trees got closer and closer together, thick moss muffling his steps and thick bushed occasionally blocking their path. For a brief moment, he wondered if he would ever be found, should this be the wrong way and he was actually moving even further from home, but noticed that he didn’t care. Something was pulling him now. A warm, fuzzy feeling, fluttering in his chest like big, strong wings and spreading through his whole body. He needed to reach it. Whatever was calling to him.

His feet seemed to move faster on their own accord, carrying him towards a faint, greenish light gleaming somewhere beyond his sight. That’s where they were going, he realised. That’s where he needed to go. This would guide him home… Somehow.

Before them, a clearing opened, the open space small but covered with flowers. Slightly confused, Obi-Wan tilted his head. Those were the kind of flowers his father always tended so lovingly to, the ones that grew in their lawn… In spring. Not in September. However, his distraction was only momentarily. He was once again feeling the full towards the green shimmer, now so close he could make out its source.

A large stone stood proudly in the middle of the masses of flowers, atop of it, a bright spere of pure light. It’s gleam fully illuminated the clearing, bright enough so that even the now pitch-black sky seemed to still be alight, no stars in sight. Little insects fluttered around the source of the light but didn’t seem to be burned by its glow.

Suddenly, Obi-Wan heard a whisper. He had no idea what the tiny voice said, but he knew he needed to hear, to get closer. So he did, careful not to tread on the delicate blossoms surrounding him. The voice got louder the closer he got to the light, but he still didn’t understand. It was like he knew the language the light was speaking but not the meaning of its words. 

Get closer. Understand it. Go. Touch it. Yes.

The doe let her head sink as the boy went. This is not what she intended. There went another one, caught in the tempting glow of light. She thought he had been the one who would free them, she was so sure of it. She was wrong.

Small fingers touched the sphere of light and the wind picked up, a humming filling the space around them, getting louder and louder, the light turning brighter. And then…

Quiet. 

Only a faded dim glow.

And laying among the flowers, sleeping quietly, a tiny fox kit.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

_Now, not far away, on the other side of the woods…_

Qui-Gon sighed as he sat down, sipping his morning coffee. Outside, the large trees at the property border were covered in snow, the leaves drooping with its heavy weight. It was quite the beautiful sight to have one’s Sunday breakfast to, he supposed, setting down his cup and grabbing a piece of toast.

Sunday was the only day his shop was closed and he could sleep in, only having to come in to tend to the plants he had stored in the front and display window. But that could wait until the afternoon. Now he had time just for himself. 

Especially in winter, he loved watching the animals frequenting the neighbourhood gardens for scraps and the promise of easy hunting, the birds too distracted by the rich display offered to them in the bird feeder to care about the occasional lynx or stray cat hungrily stalking them from afar.

Speak of the devil, he mused as he spotted a flash of bright orange between thick blankets of white. Vulpes vulpes, true fox, his brain provided after a moment of careful observation. At least he remembered the bases of his university studies.

Stipends and offers of the brightest future imaginable had lured him from his small Irish home to the grand universities of Great Britain just to learn that the life of a great scholar really just wasn’t his thing. Sure, the Diploma looked quite nice on his wall, but apart from that? His little gardening shop was really all he needed, it made him happier than any stuffy laboratory ever could. 

Qui-Gon sat up straight, careful not to let his movement scare any of the creatures he was observing even more intently now. The fox moved carefully around the property, keeping to the trees and fence with his eyes closely fixed on the birds eagerly fluttering around the little house – self-made, of course - containing their winter food. 

With a little spilled onto the snowy ground, a tiny blackbird fluttered downwards, hopping about on the snow, picking up its share. The fox continued to move slowly, now focussed totally on his target and then jumped, grabbing the bird between his paws and biting down, scaring away the rest of the tiny, feasting creatures. 

Qui-Gon smiled to himself as he tuned his focus back to his own food. A bountiful breakfast for all of them it seemed. Well, except the blackbird, of course.

~*~*~*

It’s about a week later when Qui-Gon sees the fox again. It’s early and still very dark when he leaves the house. The sun wouldn’t rise for another two hours but he needed the time to get his shop ready as several deliveries had piled up over the course of Saturday afternoon and Sunday. Spring was coming and even though it was icy still, the first customers were looking for equipment so desperately one could think it was the middle of summer already.

A quiet chuckle escaped Qui-Gon as he thought about it, setting his travel mug on the roof of his car to start scraping the ice off his windshield. 

He curses quietly when the flakes of ice rained down on his hands, making them go numb. He should have really put on some gloves before leaving the house. Whatever, he was almost done, no use in going back inside now.

Behind him, something crashed. Qui-Gon turned swiftly, trying to make out the source of the noise in the darkness around him, the glow of the streetlight barely enough for him to get to his car without falling. Nothing at his door. The trashcans were also fine, no scavenging animals in sight. What could possibly have happened, he wondered and then, the familiar sight of ginger fur caught his eye.

The fox stood on his lawn, perfectly still. Behind him, the metal snow shovel hat fallen over and hit the chain link fence separating Qui-Gon’s property from his neighbour’s. He knew it was totally irrational but somehow, he was sure that this was the same fox he had seen more hunting for breakfast in his garden about a week ago. It – he, Qui-Gon thought suddenly – did not look in any way special enough to distinguish him from his peers but something told Qui-Gon it was him. 

Big eyes stared at him, almost unblinking, taking him in with something like curious interest. He watched the fox’ ears twitched and his head tilt, sniffing the air in careful consideration. He still did not move, though. Qui-Gon smiled and carefully bent down to hold out his hand, now very glad that he had foregone the gloves on his way outside. 

The fox took a few hesitant steps towards him, paws soundless on the still snowy ground. He bent his head to give Qui-Gon’s hand a little sniff and hesitated again, staying perfectly still once again. Qui-Gon did his best not to move and scare the fox away from him.

Another sniff, then another step. Just a few centimetres and the sweet little creature would be nuzzling Qui-Gon’s palm. 

The light from a passing car harshly broke the moment and before Qui-Gon could so much as blink, the fox bolted away from him, running off into the woods as fast as possible. Qui-Gon huffed, standing up again from his couched position. He had been so close to making a new friend.

~*~*~*

The next few weeks passed with little to no meeting between Qui-Gon and his new almost-friend. Sure, he saw him occasionally, running along the edge of the forest or looking hungrily at the birds frequenting the feeder but he had never gotten so close to Qui-Gon as on that cold Monday morning when he had almost been able to stroke the lovely animal’s soft fur.

By now, the snow had melted and the sun was showing again but rain and cold temperatures still kept Qui-Gon inside in most of his free time and he couldn’t wait for spring to finally come fully around and permit him to tend to his garden once again.

For now, he was confined to spending his nights in his armchair, finishing the last books he had stocked up on before winter rolled around. He always got himself a big stack of new reading material as soon as the day got shorter, enough to tie him over until mid-spring most of the time.

The particular book in his hand was quite out of character for him, or that was what people who knew him only briefly would assume. Secretly, he enjoyed cheap romance novels, something light and cheesy to make him snort every few pages at how terribly written it was and swoon with feelings the next, when the hero did finally get whomever he or she was pining after. Although he wouldn’t admit to that particular guilty pleasure out loud to anyone, of course.

As he turned the page, he looked up briefly through the glass door to his backyard and what he saw made him smile brightly. There, on his porch, the fox sat attentively, head tilted to the side, almost as if he were trying to read the title of the book in Qui-Gon’s hand. The man snorted at that quite silly thought. A fox with an interest in reading, that sure would be something, he thought. 

The fox then turned his head again, to look up at Qui-Gon. The latter was sure he was imagining things by now when he saw quiet judgement with a hint of amusement in the fox’ eyes.

Shaking his head, Qui-Gon returned to his book. His little friend was getting to his head a little. Maybe it was a sign from his sub conscience to go out more, get himself a date. Or maybe the fox was really judging him for his taste in literature. He returned to reading but no matter how hard he concentrated, he could not shake the feeling of the pair of eyes fixed on him just outside the door.

~*~*~*

Spring had finally broken and his new ginger friend had made himself a steady presence in Qui-Gon’s life, often sitting a few metres away from Qui-Gon, watching him curiously or snoozing on the porch, the sun warming his skin pleasantly until he stretched lazily, yawned and strut off into the forest to do whatever it was the fox spent his days doing. 

By now, it had become a little ritual for Qui-Gon to leave out some food scraps – leftover raw meat, eggs or even vegetables – out for the friendly creature in the morning before he left for work, placed lovingly on a small plate on the porch. When he returned in the evenings, the day having been as busy as can be with the great weather and the season, the plate was always empty, all traced of food swiped away cleanly by a dexterous tongue.

Qui-Gon expected nothing else today when closed his shop down for the day and got into his car. He wondered if the little fox had liked the offerings left for him today, some chicken and cucumber alongside an egg that was still good but not really fresh enough to properly use it for anything fancy anymore.

He was surprised, however, when he pulled into his drive and found the fox still eating. Half expecting the poor thing to be instantly scared away from his snack, he quietly cursed himself but blinked a little dumbfounded when he saw that even as he left his vehicle, the fox never even bothered to look up from his food.

The man carefully approached the eating animal, amazed at how all the natural fear he was used to seeing in creatures like him seemed to have fled him, trusting the human giving him so little so much. 

Licking up the last traces off the plate, the fox looked at him, his eyes shining warmly, almost beckoning him to touch. But Qui-Gon wasn’t so sure if attempting to stroke the soft fur would ruin their fragile moment and have the fox run off once again.

When Qui-Gon didn’t move, the fox tilted his head, as if confused and the took the first step himself. He swiftly crossed the short distance between them, not an ounce of hesitation in his actions, and nuzzled his head against the tall man’s shin demandingly. When that received no reaction, the fox looked up again with a heat in his eyes that Qui-Gon had never seen before. Then, he stubbed his head to the man’s shin and nuzzled it again and finally, oh finally, Qui-Gon crouched down and petted the fox’ small head, hand wandering over his back in slow, savouring strokes.

Qui-Gon was grinning broadly at the feel of soft fur and even more at the trust displayed by the animal in front of him. If he had doubted before, he was now 100 percent sure that he and the fox were friends.

~*~*~*

Obi-Wan carefully sniffed the ground. He thought he had picked up the scent of prey but was not quite sure if he was right and what he was looking for. 

Despite being the best hunter in the entire forest and his therefore large claim to territory he sometimes asked himself if he really was that good at what he was doing. Maybe it was just his unjust advantage of age. By now he had outlived several generations of his friends and the family that had taken him in when he had woken up confused and without any memory how he had gotten so far away from his mother. 

He clearly had more experience than any other fox in the area could hope to ever gain in their short live spans. He had no explanation for what it was about him but as long as there was enough food and something interesting to keep him occupied he wouldn’t complain.

Just recently, he had contacted a very nice human that lived very close to his territory. He didn’t know what it was about the tall creature but something made him feel irrationally safe and even understood when he was around the man. He was so kind and so strong, that much was clear from his size. And even with all that strength and bulk, he was gently with every life he touched, so unlike many other humans.

But that shouldn’t be what occupied his mind at the moment. Now, he was on the hunt. He followed the smell, not caring much for his surroundings until he suddenly smelled another very familiar scent. The scent of himself, his own burrow. Damn. That couldn’t be good. Not good at all.

A sharp bark pierced the silence around him. A warning. A warning to leave, to give up his territory, his life. No, not today.

Obi-Wan raised his eyes to see another fox, quite young, barely matured, staring him down and growling menacingly in a futile attempt to drive him away. But Obi-Wan had been here way too many times to be intimidated, even if the young fox was unusually large, dwarfing Obi-Wan even from afar. No, he wouldn’t give up his home. Not for his life.

Obi-Wan’s tail shot up and he hissed, approaching his challenger with swift steps, his paws tapping quietly as they fell onto the dirt floor. His mind blanked, his only thought was to defend what was his. He flashed his teeth and jumped high, tackling the invader to the ground.

Growling, the other tossed him of his body, getting back on his feet and lunging at Obi-Wan with both front paws, smacking him in the nose and leaving deep scratches, only barely missing the bright blue eyes now staring back at him with renewed anger. This was Obi-Wan’s home and he did not fear getting hurt in its defence.

Obi-Wan snatched at his opponent, jaw opened wide but biting down on thin air when the invader swiftly jumped away and then instantly back at him knocking Obi-Wan off his feet and on the ground. His vision swam and his head throbbed from where it had hit the dirt with a hard thud. This young one was surprisingly strong.

Snarling, Obi-Wan jumped to his feet, blinking away the nausea bubbling through his body and smacking blindly at the other fox, feeling relieved when one of his paws impacted heavily with the other body. He aimed for that place several more times, landing a good few hits and then retreated a short distance to finally regain his balance. 

When his head stopped swimming, he looked around but found himself strangely alone. He could neither see nor hear his opponent. This couldn’t be right, hadn’t hit him that hard and the other would surely not give up that easily. It didn’t matter right now, though. He needed to get some territorial advantage or maybe even some rest. Carefully, Obi-Wan started walking towards the entrance of his burrow. It would be easier to defend it from its entrance, the walls granting support and protection to his body.

He had almost reached his destination when suddenly, sharp pain shot through his leg and side. He whimpered trying to shake whatever caused it off of him. The other fox’ jaws released him but he knew if he didn’t get out of here fast, he wouldn’t make it out at all.

With all the strength left in his body, he took off towards the edge of the forest, running as fast as he could, ignoring the white hot agony pulsing through him in waves, starting at his right hind leg and reaching up to the tip of his tail and his wildly twitching ears.

On the floor next to him, he could see bright red stains following him all the way he had ran away. Blood, he realised distantly. His blood, leaving his body much faster than it should. The edges of his vision began to swim, turning gradually narrower and darker. He was running out of breath fast. 

Obi-Wan didn’t know where his feet were taking him, only focussed on getting away. When he finally slowed down, he blinked at his surroundings. A door. He was somewhere around humans. And then the scent hit him, just as he stumbled onto the doormat, legs giving out underneath him. He was close, his human. His big, strong, kind-hearted human. As the world around him went black, he reached out to scratch at the wooden door, a pitiful bark leaving his throat. Then, his consciousness faded from his grasp completely.

~*~*~*

A cold shiver ran down Qui-Gon’s back, the glass he was drying off shattering on the tiled kitchen floor. Something was off. He didn’t know where the sudden feeling had come from, what it meant but he was sure something was wrong. Someone was in danger, in pain. 

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to sort out his thoughts. He had encountered situations like these many times in the past though he had never found a source for his sudden discomfort. Never had someone close to him ever been in danger, not his family or friends nor people in close vicinity to him so had never really regarded it as a serious message, putting it off as his mind playing weird tricks on him.

He was fine, the people around him were fine, he was making things up again. 

His eyes fluttered open again and he bent down to pick up the glass shards scattered on the floor and placed them on the counter to dispose of late, turning his attention back to the dished still floating abandoned in the murky water of the kitchen sink. 

Having finished the task at hand, Qui-Gon stepped into the hallway to put on his shoes, putting the broken glass down and almost dropping it again when a heart breaking howl from just outside the door made his skin crawl. A feeling of dread deep in his stomach accompanied the noise, nausea pulsing up into Qui-Gon’s throat. This, he had not imagined. This was real.

Stumbling towards the door, he hastily flung it open, looking into a familiar pair of eyes. However, the stunning blue he was used to see, full of lively sparkle were dull and out of focus, unblinking and unmoving.

“Fuck. Don’t you dare die on me.” He murmured, too quiet to be actually audible to the little creature, even if had been fully conscious.

With careful hands, he picked the small body up, panicking a little at just how wet the normally pretty fur was with blood. This really wasn’t good. Trying his best to still his now trembling hands, Qui-Gon held the fox closer to his body as he climbed the stairs, not caring whether his clothes got stained and possibly forever ruined in the process. He felt the fox’s chest quiver slightly but rhythmically against his own. Good, he was breathing.

He placed the unconscious animal in the bathtub gently, jumping to his feet again to gather what little list of helpful things his mind supplied him with, first aid kit, some towels. He knew, to anybody sane and in their right mind he would look like he had lost his mind and that he should just let nature go its way without him disturbing the normal course of action but he wouldn’t have it. Something told him that this was somehow more important than any other thing he had ever done in his life.

He knelt down hastily, his knees protesting the hard impact on the floor. Qui-Gon pushed the pain to the back of his mind and steadied his breathing, taking a more careful look at his little friend laying there.

There were several scratched all over the fox’ body, some of them deeper than others but overall, they didn’t look too bad. Those could wait a little while. A small wound under the animal’s left ear had already stopped bleeding, the blood caking and darkening the soft, ginger fur. What was most worrying was the large bite wound spanning from the fox’ stomach halfway down his right hind leg. 

Qui-Gon focussed on that first, cleaning it as best as he could with its size and the blood it cause to leak out of the small body before he bandaged the bite tightly, praying this would suffice to keep the lovely creature alive. Then, he turned his attention to the other wounds, cleaning them out much more thoroughly and dressing them as best as he could. He wasn’t sure if those would stay on for long though if - no, when - the fox woke up.

Next, he needed a place for the little creature to stay. Getting up, Qui-Gon wiped his hands on his already ruined shirt, sighing when he looked down at himself. He had like that one. Whatever, he could replace it. 

Grabbing a laundry basket, he piled in it all the spare pillows and towels he could find, making sure that the construction was stable, neither too hard nor too soft for the fox to sleep in. Not sure where to place it, he wandered aimlessly around the house, finally deciding on his bedroom, reasoning with himself that it was the easiest place to keep an eye on when he was at home. Shit, he would need to take some time off to take care of the little one. He should call his assistant Tahl but he really didn’t have the nerve right now.

He wrapped the fox up in a towel and took it back into his arms, carrying it to the bad he had prepared for it. He was truly glad for his quiet neighbourhood now since he was able to make out the even, deep breaths from the animal now clearly sleeping in the basket at the foot of his bed.

Qui-Gon sat down heavily on his bed, discarding his shirt and looking at himself in the mirror on his closet door. His cheeks and neck were smudged with blood from careless, nervous touched there. His hands weren’t much cleaner. He should probably shower, he mused, but he also didn’t want to leave the poor thing alone in the bedroom. 

_Go. I’m fine._ A voice, a warm and clear tenor, rang through his head, almost coming from within him. His head shot around but there was no one here, only he himself and the fox peacefully sleeping in his basket. He had probably imagined it. He really was getting lonely.

Maybe his little friend really was fine though, he thought, a sudden feeling in his gut telling him that he could do what he needed. So, he sighed deeply and walked back to the bathroom to have a quick shower.

When he finally felt clean and relaxed enough to get out, he was properly soaked through and muscles he didn’t even knew he had used in the last hour had loosed, so now he felt a bit wobbly on his feet. Dressing leisurely, he checked on the fox and found him still peacefully sleeping, now having curled up as far as his injuries allowed him to. 

Smiling, Qui-Gon decided to make dinner food for himself and calling Tahl along the way to inform her that she needed to run the shop for him for a while. “You really love animals too much for your own good, Qui.” She teased fondly, assuring him that really, she would do this for him, he needed a vacation anyway so go, tend to your new pet, Qui.

Shaking his head, Qui-Gon sat down to eat, contemplating what he should do next. There really wasn’t all that much he could do for the fox, now that he thought about it, giving it food, redoing the bandages as often as possible, maybe save his furniture from too many bites and scratched once the little thing was back on its feet.

It would be best, he decided first, to get some food and water up into his room in case his friend woke up and he wasn’t around. So, he filled two bowls and placed them close to the basket-bed and sat down on the bed again, watching the fox for a while. He slept quietly, his ears and tail occasionally twitching as if he was dreaming.

Qui-Gon smiled and he felt his eyes growing heavy. He yawned loudly, leaning back. He didn’t really plan on sleeping but the fox looked so calm and peaceful, inviting him to join in the world of dreams. His eyelids had dropped before he knew it, accompanied by what he thought was the voice from before, whispering into his ear. _Good night, kind human._

~*~*~*

He startled awake at a soft whimper, blinking away his dream. It had been oh so pleasant, filled with a – in Qui-Gon’s opinion – very handsome young man, his hair long and a shining strawberry blonde as was his beard. His eyes had shone a bright blue, somehow familiar though he couldn’t quite place them. Didn’t matter, it was just a dream.

Qui-Gon sat up and looked around until he noticed the source of the whine- The fox looked up to him, half awake and looking a little lost. Then, he looked longingly at the bowl of water, stretching his neck but coming up short by not much more than a centimetre.

“Oh darling,” Qui-Gon soothed as he quickly made his way to the struggling animal an holding the bowl closer to its snout “I’m sorry that I put it too far away. Good on you for waking me.” He stoked the little head as it bobbed with the movement of eager drinking, the bowl emptying quickly. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you some more.”

When Qui-Gon had returned with the bowl, now full of water again, the fox had sat up a little but still looked quite miserable. So, he crouched down again, offering the water again, as well as the soft food he had prepared. Both containers were eagerly emptied in very short amount of time. 

With a smile and another small ruffle of fur, Qui-Gon got up again and almost dropped the porcelain withing his hands when he heard the voice again.

_Thank you so much._

He definitely hadn’t imagined that. He looked around again but still, no source of the sound. No one was there, only the fox staring up at him with intelligent eyes. Way to intelligent eyes, they almost had something… Human.

At the risk of sounding like a total lunatic, Qui-Gon opened his mouth. “W-was that.. You?” He almost laughed at himself but quickly gasped instead when the fox tilted his head and the voice returned. _I do believe so. My name is Obi-Wan._

“You speak. I’m surely losing my mind, right? Gods, I really need to get out more.”

_I wouldn’t strictly call this spearing. More like, sharing my thoughts with you. And no, I really am doing this, though it has never worked on humans before. Curious. What’s your name, by the way? While I like the sound of ‘strong, kind human’ it is a bit long._

“Did a fox just sass me?” Qui-Gon huffed “Fine, I am Qui-Gon, that’s much shorter than ‘strong, kind human’. And this works on other animals but not humans?”

_Only certain animals. Maybe you’re special, have the same powers they have._

At that, Qui-Gon could only shrug and sit back down. He was telepathically communicating with the fox he had just saved. As if this day hasn’t been strange enough already.

~*~*~*

It didn’t take long for the fox – Obi-Wan, he knew now – to fall back asleep after their little conversation, him still being massively exhausted and Qui-Gon really couldn’t hold that against him. And honestly, he found the sight of Obi-Wan with his eyes closed and his front paws tucked under his face too sweet to ever disturb it. 

His face almost hurt from smiling every time he looked at Obi-Wan, seeing the little chest rise and fall rhythmically and the odd twitch of muscles activated in a dream. But he really couldn’t help himself, looking up from his book every few minutes to get his fix of adorableness.

Obi-Wan only woke up again once that day to have another drink and some more food, telling him about the fight that had gotten him so beat up along the way. 

“So you’ve lived there for almost fifteen years? That really is oddly long for a fox.” Qui-Gon inquired curiously. He recalled the average lifespan of most foxes to be five years at maximum and Obi-Wan had already lived thrice as long. Quite odd indeed.

_I know it’s strange. Maybe it has something to do with my ability to communicate as I do._

Qui-Gon only shrugged at that, he really had no idea how this was possible at all and he was sure that if he did, he would only end up with more questions than answers. The best he could do, was to accept things as they came along he decided. 

~*~*~*

The next few days passed quietly, Obi-Wan mostly sleeping and occasionally eating when he woke. Sometimes, he would stay up long enough to have small mental chats with Qui-Gon, telling him about his life in the woods, how he had gotten lost as a kit and didn’t know his mother. But they also talked about Qui-Gon’s life, what it was like living in the world of humans. Obi-Wan didn’t understand everything he talked about but he seemed to absorb the information he got with ever growing curiosity.

It took a week for Obi-Wan to stand up for the first time, taking a few small steps before sitting back down almost too quickly. Qui-Gon carried him back to his basket carefully, setting him into it while encouraging him when Obi-Wan whined frustratedly. 

“You know this will take some time, don’t you?” he sighed when Obi-Wan protested, trying to stand up and jump out of the basket-bed. 

_But I want to move again... I need to!_ The voice in Qui-Gon’s head sounded desperate and he could almost feel his heart melt in his chest. He knelt down, gently pulling Obi-Wan close and stroking his fur until he stopped being so sad, frustration ebbing away slowly. “I’ll take care of you, darling. No pressure, no one will hurt you here.”

~*~*~*

Living with Obi-Wan was less strange with every passing day. They slowly fell into a routine of getting up together in the morning, Qui-Gon bringing up breakfast for the both of them. While he then worked around the house and garden, Obi-Wan spent his time getting used to walking and jumping again.

In the beginning, Qui-Gon still carried Obi-Wan to where he was going in his basket, letting him wander around with a safe and comfortable place to return to. However, after another week, Obi-Wan was already following him out of his room in the morning by himself, staying mostly close to Qui-Gon but walking off to get to know the house some more.

Occasionally, he would be gone for a few hours, getting back into the terrain he was used to living in, making first attempts at hunting, proudly returning with his prey when he finally succeeded after several attempts.

In the afternoon and evening, Qui-Gon would sit down on the sofa, Obi-Wan jumping up into his lap and curing up comfortably. While the former read or watched television, the fox proceeded to watch him, occasionally asking questions about what he was doing, what was happening and why, trying to understand the world around him better. He even took pleasure in finding new ways to annoy the human out of his mind, playing with the chords of Qui-Gon’s sweater or waggling until he got the man’s attention and cuddles.

Not that Qui-Gon minded too much though, he loved giving Obi-Wan as much attention as possible. He didn’t want to admit it, but he already dreaded the day he would let Obi-Wan go out on his own again. But he knew he had to. Obi-Wan might be able to talk to him and be interested in his life more than a regular animal would be but he was still wild, still belonged in his normal environment where he could live like he was used to. But thinking of letting the precious, intelligent creature go off on his own saddened him deeply.

So, Qui-Gon decided to make the most of the days that were still left, before Obi-Wan had fully recovered and he would have to go back to work and most importantly being alone in his house with no one to talk to when he got lonely. But that wasn’t what he wanted to worry about when he had a lap full of squirming fox ready to be cuddled and played with.

What also accompanied Qui-Gon were the dreams, all of them closely resembling the one he had in the first night Obi-Wan had slept at the foot of his bed. In them, the handsome ginger he had seen that first night returned to him, taking his hand and leading him through the woods. They often passed the same places, a burrow tucked cosily between little mounds of earth covered in moss and ferns and a clearing filled with the most gorgeous flowers he had ever seen. The sun was always shining down on them with the gentle warmth of late spring, pleasant but not hot enough to make their long walks unbearable. 

The young man rarely spoke, mostly communicating through body language or simply grabbing Qui-Gon’s hand and leading him to where he wanted to go. But when he opened his mouth, Qui-Gon heard the same gentle voice that echoed in his head when he talked to Obi-Wan in the day. 

They mostly stuck to their activities, the man showing him beautiful places and them staying there for a while, enjoying the nature surrounding them. 

One time, they had come across a small, clear pond just barely large enough for two people to swim in and the man had instantly let go of him to jump into the cool, refreshing water. Qui-Gon had only followed hesitantly, wading into the pond carefully, fearful of stepping on some innocent creature also enjoying the water as they were. Impatiently, the ginger pulled him close by the arm, laughing warmly when Qui-Gon stumbled a little and made a noise of surprise.

He had woken up shortly after, quite disappointed that he was alone in his bed, no lithe but strong body to cuddle up to.

Recently, the dreams had gotten more of this sort, the two of them doing more things together, both of them getting more handsy, staying pressed closely together and always in contact with the other. Qui-Gon didn’t know where it came from, why he was dreaming of this beautiful man so frequently when he had never seen him before. But something really was familiar about this mystery man and he wanted to get to know him, whether he was real or if Qui-Gon had just made him up, another sign of his brain that he was way to lonely.

~*~*~*

Gasping, Qui-Gon awoke. He looked around but nothing came to mind that could have startled him so much that he would have woken up. It wasn’t a nightmare that had woken him either, he was sure. His dream had actually been very pleasant. He tried to steady his breathing and to remember what it had been about. 

The handsome ginger had taken him to the clearing they had been on many a time, sitting down among the flowers, cuddled up close to him. He didn’t say or do anything for a long time, but his eyes had a sadness in them that Qui-Gon couldn’t explain. After what seemed like an eternity, a soft hand was placed on his cheek and other man’s bright blue eyes met his own intensely. A brief second passed and he didn’t know who moved first.

Their lips met somewhere in the middle, first only a soft press, as if the ginger didn’t quite know what he was doing but getting stronger and more enthusiastic as the seconds passed. Butterflies erupted in Qui-Gon’s stomach, stronger than he had ever felt the sensation before. He didn’t want to ever let go of the other, keeping him close for ever and ever, no matter whether he was real or just imagined by a bout of loneliness.

The ginger pulled away, his eyes looking like he was using all the strength he possessed to keep himself away. He opened his mouth, taking a deep breath in preparation to speak but Qui-Gon had woken up before the words could reach his ears. 

Qui-Gon swung his legs off the bed, freeing his hair from the bun he had tied it in to sleep. Turning his head to the side, he noticed that Obi-Wan was awake as well and Qui-Gon smiled apologetically. “Did I wake you? I’m sorry.”

_It’s fine, you didn’t. I believe we woke up at the same time._

Qui-Gon sighed heavily and got up, grabbing his clothes on the way to the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror and notices just how tired he looked. Today was the day, Obi-Wan would go back out into the woods and he would stay here and go back to his everyday life. Oh well, he thought. He couldn’t hold out on the inevitable forever so it was better to get it over with now, before he got too attached to the company of the animal he had come to enjoy so much.

Obi-Wan would come back occasionally, he was sure. Qui-Gon couldn’t imagine the fox would not miss the easy companionship they had fallen into and, of course, the foot he got without the effort of hunting. Chuckling a little sadly, Qui-Gon finished getting ready and prepared breakfast. 

The fox joined him shortly before he was finished, hopping up onto a chair and watching him with bright, curious eyes. His wounds had fully healed for some time now and he had gotten stronger and more active with each day. By now, he was a little ball of energy that could barely be contained within the property for longer than a few hours. It made Qui-Gon happy to see Obi-Wan so well but it served as a constant reminder that he would have to let him go.

Leaving Obi-Wan’s food on the floor next to his own chair, he dug into his own breakfast, receiving and almost ridiculously heart-breaking glare from Obi-Wan. _It’s my last day, you promised me I could eat breakfast sitting in your lap._ The fox complained in Qui-Gon’s head, pressing his ears down to his skull to boost the effect of his already way too adorable look.

“It’s messy and I’ll be covered in fur and food. How about you’ll get one last round of extra cuddles before you leave. Well not last as in last but… Last for now, you get the idea.” Qui-Gon amended, continuing to eat calmly.

_Fiiiiiiiiiine…_ Came the immediate reply and Obi-Wan jumped off his chair to eat in his usual spot, closely pressed to Qui-Gon’s leg. They’d both miss this, they knew. 

After the promised session of cuddles – extra long to last them both until the next time they met – Qui-Gon accompanied Obi-Wan to the edge of the forest. Qui-Gon sighed deeply, putting on his best smile. They would see each other again, he knew that but it still didn’t help in making him any less sad. He knelt down next to Obi-Wan when they reached the edge of the property. 

“So that’s it then. You’ll be fine on your own, right?” Qui-Gon did his best not to sound too worried, he was truly being ridiculous and he knew it. He shouldn’t be this sad about his friend leaving him.

_Hey, I’ll come back. I promise you that, don’t worry. I’m sad to leave you too, Qui-Gon. I hope we’ll see each other a lot. My new home will be close by._

Obi-Wan softly nuzzled his snout to Qui-Gon’s hand, looking up at him with the softest look in his eyes that Qui-Gon had ever seen. “I certainly hope so. Take care of yourself for me, will you? As much as I enjoy your company, I would prefer if you didn’t scare my like that ever again.”

The fox huffed quietly. _I will be careful. Thank you for everything, my darling human. Thank you so much._

And with one last soft touch of head to hand, Obi-Wan turned, skipping away into the forest, stopping a few metres away to look back for a moment, his eyes shining back at Qui-Gon, who smiled weakly at the fox, missing him already. Obi-Wan’s next steps were slower, hesitant. He didn’t want to leave Qui-Gon. Sure, he could return at any time but something pulled him back, like he belonged with the man.

It would go away in time, he told himself, the forest is where you belong. You come from two different worlds, you don’t fit together. His head hanging low, Obi-Wan walked on, deeper into the dark. He should focus on finding a new home for now, not worry about some stupid affection he had developed for a human that had the kindness to take care of him. And so, he walked on.

~*~*~*

Rain beat heavily on the ground, spooking animals great and small into their hiding places, warning them of something still to come, something stronger. The wind picked up, ruffling and upsetting the greenery, making a mess of tidy stacks of leaves and the first laundry hung out to dry. A bright flash of lightning, then thunder rumbling loudly, scaring the last creature that hadn’t yet made the decision to find shelter from the storm.

Obi-Wan ducked into his new burrow, or rather the beginnings thereof, curling up as tightly as possible. He had barely started digging and thus didn’t have much space to retreat to. Finding a proper spot for his new home had taken ages, not considering the fact that he had checked on his old home first and had found it still occupied. 

The wind picked up, whistling around his ears loudly and ruffling his fur in the most unpleasant way possible. Obi-Wan shuddered intensely and rolled up much tighter to preserve as much body heat as possible. This storm would be a long one and he couldn’t risk freezing already. He wouldn’t stand a chance otherwise. 

As the rain increased, now drumming loudly on the little bit of ground above Obi-Wan’s head, Obi-Wan cursed himself for not digging faster. The temporary entrance to his burrow was not yet weatherproof. This fact he learned quite quickly when suddenly, water started to seep in, soaking his feet and stomach and rising with worrying speed. Damn, he needed to et out of there as fast as he could, he thought and jumped into the open air just to be startled by bright light and the deafening sound of thunder only seconds after. He was close to the centre of the storm. Great.

He cowered under some root arching out of the ground to think. By now his entire being was dripping from the rain and every gust of wind made him fear he would simply be carried away by it if he weren’t careful.

Qui-Gon, his mind supplied him with after some panicked pacing in the tiny space he was in. Surely, Qui-Gon would help him. He had offered for Obi-Wan to return anytime. Yes, he should definitely go, he decided and with that, he mad his way towards Qui-Gon’s house. Or so he thought until he heard another crash of thunder, loud enough to make his head throb in pain. His vision went white.

Looking out the window, Qui-Gon himself tried to tear himself away from his current position. Obi-Wan would be fine and if he needed help, he would come over and make himself known. There was really no use for him to stand around and stare aimlessly out into the storm, hoping desperately for the familiar flash of orange to appear out of nowhere just to soothe him.

Still, he kept staring, the window fogging up where his breath his it. The rain was almost too thick to see any further than halfway through his garden, never mind the darkness brought on by the mountains of clouds rolling through the sky fast enough to make you go lightheaded if you looked at them for too long. Even as lightning split the sky violently, the outside didn’t get brighter by much. This truly was a heavy storm.

Alright, Qui-Gon told himself, you’re gonna turn around now and sit down. Everything is fine and Obi-Wan will find a way to tell you if he needs any help. And he succeeded, sitting down on the couch but still looking outside, just in time to see the world go white with the brightest flash of lightning he had ever seen.

In the middle of the woods, the doe blinked and set off towards the clearing which held the orb of light. Something was wrong. She felt it.

She staggered to a halt at the edge to the sanctuary, looking around for anything or anyone trying to disturb the orb without her supervision. Around her, the rain fell heavily but there seemed to be on one meddling with the brightly shining energy source, the flowers blooming as they always did and the orb levitating peacefully, accompanied by its quite hum. Huh, she thought, maybe I just imagined something.

And the, the bolt of lightning struck. She braced herself on a tree and closed her eyes. Still, she saw the bright light emitted from the orb wash though the forest in waves. When she opened her eyes again, the rain had stopped falling, no wind rustled the leaves. All was quiet. Normal. But she knew something had changed. Someone had changed.

~*~*~*

As sudden as the storm had begun, it had ended leaving Qui-Gon sitting on the sofa, stunned and blinking away the irritation caused to his eyes by that last, bright flash of lightning. The eerie quiet that had replaced the drumming of the heavy rainfall seemed almost surreal, as if Qui-Gon had suddenly gone deaf. But when he looked outside again, the clouds had gone leaving only clear blue sky and bright sunshine.

And something else entirely. He couldn’t quite make it out what it was but there was something in the forest, just a few metres into the dense lines of trees.

A by now familiar feeling in his gut told Qui-Gon to go investigate and that it was safe to go outside. No, not only should he go. He simply had to. The urge to go intensified with every passing seconds, as if his life depended on it. Before he knew what hit him, he had pulled on his coat and shoes and was stumbling towards the woods. 

The closer he got, the more did the feeling urge him to speed up and see what pulled him so intently. Squinting, Qui-Gon tried to make out what could possibly cause him to have such strong feelings and he swallowed heavily. Somehow, he hoped desperately that his mind was playing tricks on him for what he thought he saw… was another person.

But with every step it got clearer and clearer that, no, he was seeing correctly. Qui-Gon halted his brisk pace and knelt down to the ground next to the person, a man he now noticed. A man with long, ginger hair, a beard and the same blue eyes he had seen in his dreams for weeks. Qui-Gon choked on his breath. What in the world?

Said eyes quickly fluttered closed again, the other man emitting a tired groan. “What the fuck…” he grumbled running a hand through his hair. That voice. It couldn’t possibly be... 

“Obi-Wan?” Shaking his head as if to rid himself of the confusion clouding his brain, Qui-Gon shucked off his coat and pulled it around the other’s bare shoulders after helping him sit up. “Yeah, it’s me... I guess…” answered Obi-Wan his voice sounding strained, like he hadn’t used it in forever, like he needed to gest used to its sound and feeling in his mouth. “I don’t know what happened, I…” Obi-Wan shook his head, looking down at himself, flexing his fingers any trying out how his body moved.

“You’re… human. How… Fuck, let me get you inside, you’re all wet.” Qui-Gon muttered, helping the other man stand hastily and supporting his every step on the way towards the house. Obi-Wan stumbled and swayed almost like he knew how to but was long out of practice. Being smaller thank Qui-Gon, the latter had to make himself smaller to properly accommodate Obi-Wan’s weight with one of the smaller man’s arms over his shoulders. 

Qui-Gon’s thoughts were running wild, trying to find an explanation for the young man, now sitting on his sofa, wrapped in a towel and waiting for Qui-Gon to bring him some clothes that would at least kind of fit him. It wasn’t that he was unpleasant to look at, Qui-Gon thought, the lean muscle put on from his life in the woods had translated nicely from fox to human. But it was only fair for Obi-Wan to be treated as a human now that he was one. He shook his head again. This all sounded so absurd but here he was, in the middle of all this mess.

Obi-Wan definitely looked distinctly older than the fifteen years he had spent in the woods but not much. If pressed, Qui-Gon would put him in his early twenties. Perhaps Obi-Wan had miscalculated the time he had stent out there. Or maybe, he had been human before that. He shouldn’t assume, he decided. Maybe Obi-Wan could tell him more, once he had accustomed to the changes he had undergone.

With a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt in hand, Qui-Gon came back to Obi-Wan who took them gladly and dressed, a little clumsily but definitely knowing what he was doing. He practically swam in the clothes but looked grateful to have them now that Qui-Gon sat next to him.

For a long time, neither of them said anything, neither of them having a clue how to begin that particular conversation. Obi-Wan looked deep in thought, like he was sorting out his own story within his mind.

“I remember all of my life in the woods.” He began, hesitantly at first. “I know that I was human before, as a child. But I can’t find anything in my memories that would tell me who I was. It’s all blank. The only things left are my name and something about a doe. No idea what that means. Or why I turned into a fox in the first place, why I’m back to myself now. But… I know there is one thing I know…”

And before Qui-Gon could open his mouth to ask, Obi-Wan was kissing him, wild like the storm that had just passed, wanting to know him as quickly as possible. Like he had wanted this for as long as Qui-Gon now realised he wanted. They had spent so much time together now, waking and asleep and this was right, this was good. What he had been craving for oh so long.

When they pulled apart for air it felt as if the world had shifted. They didn’t need any more words for now, only each other. Explanations were for later, much later when they had quelled the need bubbling up in both of them. Qui-Gon only realised that they were walking, hand in hand, when they had almost reached the bedroom and he didn’t protest where they were going, simply letting Obi-Wan lead him to where they needed to be.

~*~*~*

Sun filtered through the half-closed blinds of Qui-Gon’s bedroom, bathing them both in gentle morning light. Obi-Wan almost didn’t believe his eyes when he had woken up this morning, wrapped up in Qui-Gon’s arms and feeling distinctly human. It had been a few days now and he was still not accustomed to his new, or rather his original shape.

So far, they had spent their time with getting Obi-Wan some clothes that actually fit him and Qui-Gon teaching him the basic skills of being and adult human that he had missed during his time in the forest. And of course they stayed close together, Obi-Wan rarely leaving his side for more than five minutes at a time. 

Tahl had rolled her eyes good naturedly, when Qui-Gon told her that he would need some more time at home with his ‘foundling’ not yet having the courage to tell her the mad tale of what had transpired within the last weeks.

By now, some things had come back to Obi-Wan already, images and names popping into his head but he couldn’t find any connections, didn’t know where to place them. He hoped he would be able to do so, in time. He was sure he would be missed, wherever he had been before all of this. He had been a child of seven years old, for fuck’s sake. His parents, whoever they were, must have gone mad with grief. He didn’t want to image how he had hurt them, intentional or not.

“You look worried…” Qui-Gon whispered, kissing his cheek and pulling him closer. “Do you want to talk about it.”

“I want to know who my parents were. I left so young and I have a feeling they didn’t know where I went. Fuck, they probably think I’m dead or something. And there is also this... other feeling. Like there is something I should have done back then, that I need to do now. I don’t know, it’s stupid.” Obi-Wan sighed, looking frustrated. 

Gently, Qui-Gon took his face into his hands, looking deeply into his eyes. “I don’t think it’s stupid. Look at the last week. I think we learned all to well that this world is a lot stranger than it seems. After breakfast we’ll see what we can do about your parents, alright?”

Obi-Wan cuddled up close to the other, now smiling. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but it must have been very right. Thank you.”

An hour later, they sat down in the living room with Qui-Gon’s laptop. “So, you changed at seven years old. That means there must have been an investigation. So let’s look for reports on children that went missing in the area fifteen years.” Qui-Gon suggested, booting up the computer in his lap. Obi-Wan stayed quiet for a moment, leg jiggling nervously up and down before he tucked under himself. “Yeah… Sounds smart enough.”

“Are you alright, darling?” Concerned, Qui-Gon looked up. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to anymore. We can always come back to it when you’re more comfortable.”

“It’s fine. I just… It’s a big thing looking for my parents. What if their mad at me for disappearing or don’t recognize me. That is if we find them. But I also want to know them so bad. So I’m a little nervous. But I’m sure I want to do it. So, go on, please.” When Obi-Wan followed his statement with a reassuring smile ad nod, Qui-Gon couldn’t help but smile back.

It took them about twenty minutes to find a collection of newspaper articles from fifteen years ago. Since Obi-Wan had never left the woods he had woken up in as a little fox kit, there wouldn’t be too many towns to look through. 

They carefully skimmed through the pictures and names, occasionally reading into an article to see if it rang any bells for Obi-Wan in case he remembered an incorrect name for himself but none seemed to fit Obi-Wan until finally, they came across the picture of small redhead boy looking at the camera with bright, happy eyes. Behind him, a woman with hair just as red as his and a man who looked remarkably similar to Obi-Wan stood, hands on his shoulders. He slowly read the caption of the photo: _Obi-Wan with his parents Eida and Kaidin Kenobi._

Obi-Wan gasped, a strange tingle in his stomach telling him that this was him, definitely. He told Qui-Gon as much and the older man began to read aloud. “Missing: Seven-Year-Old from Stewjon. He was last seen on September 5 playing outside with his best friend, a brown-haired girl of about his hight. He listens to the nickname ‘Ben’. Please report any information on his whereabouts to the local police.”

“It’s them. I know it. I… remember them!” 

~*~*~*

Obi-Wan took a deep breath, squeezing Qui-Gon’s hand as tightly as possible before he rang the doorbell. After reading the article it had only taken little research for them to find the address of Obi-Wan’s parents and learning that they hadn’t moved away from Stewjon in the log time that had passed.

The seconds after he had let go of the bell stretched like thick honey, seeming to go on for infinity before finally the door opened. The woman who stood behind it looked at him for a moment in deep confusion, the expression doing nothing to deteriorate her air of kindness. She looked as if she had barely aged since the photo in the article but in her eyes, she looked as if she had seen worries she never should have.

And all of a sudden, she moved, clutching Obi-Wan tightly to her chest and wordlessly sobbing with relief as if she had held in these breath for the last fifteen years. “It is you, right? I’m not making this up?” She choked out once she had finally managed to tear herself away from her son.

“It’s me mom, I promise.” Obi-Wan himself didn’t sound much more put together than here, letting himself be led into the small house, leaving Qui-Gon to stand outside awkwardly, not knowing what to do with himself. He blushed heavily when Eida turned back to Obi-Wan “Is that your boyfriend? He can come with us you know.” 

Obi-Wan cleared his throat, looking to the ground for a second before smiling at both of them. “Yes mom, he’s my boyfriend.”

~*~*~*

When they had told their story to Obi-Wan’s parents, his father arriving only minutes after they had knocked at the door, there was only broad silence for a moment. And that was quite understandable, Qui-Gon thought to himself. After all, they had just told them the most unbelievable story even Qui-Gon had ever heard of and all that after Obi-Wan had been gone for fifteen years.

“And… You’re all right now? Not hurt anymore and happy with him?” Kaidin asked, setting his cup of tea down carefully on its saucer. 

Confusion was practically written across Obi-Wan’s face. “T-that’s what you’re worried about?” He stammered, his face breaking into a grin. “You believe us, just like this?”

“Darling, there is more between heaven and earth then we’ll ever be able to comprehend. And we are just so happy to have you back, all that matters now is that. And the fact that you’re with someone that takes care of you and treats you right.” Eida said, her eyes soft and loving. “Speaking of which. I believe there is someone you should also visit. You’re lucky that she’s over for easter and not out at Uni… We can caller her over if you’d like”

“Bant!” Obi-Wan gasped. “I just started to remember her again!” He seemed to light up tenfold and Qui-Gon felt an irrational pang of jealousy. They had been kinds, for god’s sake. But still, he tensed slightly but was quickly soothed by Obi-Wan’s hand gently covering his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry, Qui, she was my best friend back in the day. You won’t have to defend any territory here. Qui-Gon groaned loudly at that. “That pun was terrible.”

After the door had opened the next time it took all of three second to have a lap full of giggling Bant Eerin, the young woman as cheery and clingy as he remembered her. “I knew you weren’t gone! You just played a prank on me. The resolution may have taken fifteen years but still. I was right!”

~*~*~*

It was Bant’s idea entirely to go look for those ruins again. During the tale of how he had gotten lost she had hung on his every word, afterwards telling them how that day had gone for her. She had gotten up just as Obi-Wan had and then walked on, suspecting nothing. When she had noticed that he hadn’t followed her she had gone back to the ruins but hadn’t found him there either. She then had returned home, assuming that’s where he had also gone. 

She had also felt something off about that place but she had always assumed it had been her mind being weird about having lost her best friend there. Obi-Wan couldn’t refuse her now, his curiosity about what had happened too strong to ignore. Naturally, Qui-Gon then tagged along, not wanting to leave Obi-Wan alone ever again. And the danger of losing him as soon as he had gotten to love him simply wasn’t a risk he was willing to take.

So the three of them went out, Obi-Wan and Bant trying their best to find the way they had gone all those years ago. Their conversation was lively, filled with speculations about what awaited them. The shovel-talk was the last thin Qui-Gon had expected in their current situation but at one point, Bant had pulled him back to her by the arm, puffing out her chest and rising to her full hight – still not nearly as tall as Qui-Gon – trying to look as threatening as possible and had done just that.

It should have looked ridiculous but Qui-Gon genuinely started to fear that woman when she threatened him not to hurt her best friend. She returned back to her normal demeanour within a heartbeat, skipping about next to the two of them when Qui-Gon had promised to treat Obi-Wan with the love he deserved but he needed a minute to return to his normal self. Obi-Wan just snorted at that.

An eerie quiet fell over them when they reached the ruins of the little house, unchanged since the last time Obi-Wan and Bant had seen them. They all looked at each other and they all knew. All they had to do was wait.

~*~*~*

The silence was unnerving but none of them dared to speak in fear of scaring away any messenger approaching them. They had sat down by now, the waiting dragging on for far too long. Obi-Wan almost contemplated going back home, that there was no use in waiting for someone that didn’t come but his intuition told him to hold out, be patient and stay. Their messenger was coming. It wouldn’t be long.

At the crack of undergrowth alerted them, their heads snapping around towards the source of that sound. The doe stood, head bowed and waiting just as it had over fifteen years ago. Obi-Wan stood and approached her carefully, stroking the fur on her neck softly before stepping back. “Qui-Gon. You understood me when I was an animal. Maybe you understand her as well?”

_It seems you can._ The doe’s voice was like walm chocolate in Qui-Gon’s head. Qui-Gon approached her also, nodding as a sign that he was listening.

_You’re friend here seems to have escaped the curse that still befalls me. I suspected as much in the night of the storm. Maybe I have made the right choice with him after all?_

Qui-Gon looked at her in confusion. “Made the right choice with him?”

_I lead him into the Sanctuary. I felt like he could break the curse. Fifty years ago, a sorceress lived in this very house. She and her companion had retreated from a world that had treated them unkindly for many years. All was well until one day, the women got into a fight. Angered at the cruel words they had spat at each other in an unthinking moment of rage, the sorceress ran out, towards the gift she had prepared for so long for her beloved. A garden of eternal spring, powered by a magical creation of her own._

_She was blinded by her emotions and in her grief, she decided to destroy the gift forever. But as she was not thinking clearly and by accident turned her magical creation into an instrument of darkness, trapping herself within its energy and changing whoever touches it into a creature of the wild, as unthinking as she had been in that night._

_For years now have I tried to figure out a way to reverse this curse and free the many people that have fallen int its trap. When I saw the boy, everything in me screamed that he would be the key to all this. But that night, something was missing from him. He wasn’t yet complete, a part of him not present. That part is now here. Only what is whole can fix what is broken. Come with me, you and our young friends. The girl may come along but I fear she may succumb to the curse as well if she steps into the Sanctuary, so beware of her not going to far._

Qui-Gon blinked at her, trying to process the information dumped on him in such a short amount of time. The doe only exhaled loudly, nodding for him to relay the tale had had been told. And so he did, retelling as best as he could what they were supposed to do. It worried Obi-Wan deeply that they couldn’t bring Bant along all the way but the young woman just smiled at him. “I’ll just wait for you right here, then. At least you know where to find me when you’re done. And this time I promise I won’t go away.” She was smiling but in her eyes it was plain to see that she feared for her friend. She hugged him tightly and for a long moment and then, they sat off to follow the doe back to the Sanctuary. The place where this all had begun.

To Obi-Wan, this place was familiar. It is where his life had taken a most fateful turn. Nonetheless, he marvelled as much as Qui-Gon at the beauty of this place. They stepped onto the grass, avoiding the beds of flowers as they neared the orb floating in the middle of the clearing. The doe had stopped shortly before the clearing but urged them both to go on.

Around them, creatures of all sorts had assembled. Lynx and wild cats, squirrels and birds, mouses, deer and many more, gathered in a circle around the Sanctuary, their eyes watching them as Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon carefully tread through the clearing.

“The last time I touched that thing, I was tuned into a fox. Let’s hope this doesn’t happen again…” Obi-Wan muttered.

The older man looked at him lovingly. “She said you were missing something back then and now you have it. What could that possibly be?”

For a moment, Obi-Wan considered. “I believe…” He looked to the ground, blushing. “What I have been missing all along is you. Back then it had not been the right time, yet. But now is the perfect moment. Because you are my missing puzzle piece. My saviour and my lover. You are what makes me whole. And only what is whole can fix what it broken.” 

And with that, they took each other’s hands, walking the last few steps towards the orb. The humming it emitted was different than what Obi-Wan was used to. It sounded less threatening and more... Pleased. He looked deep into Qui-Gon’s eyes and they stretched out their joined hand towards the green bunder of energy levitating in front of them.

Pleasant heat ran through their fingers, a tingle rushing up their arms and into their chests. The light of the orb engulfed them and all animals standing around them in a first wave and then, a second followed, white as snow and almost blinding, forcing them to close their eyes.

When they opened them again the orb sparkled, transparent and clear as a perfect diamond. Next to it, a woman lay in the grass looking around with a bit of confusion but an over all pleased expression. She brushed the leaves out of her long, golden hair and stood, running towards where the doe had stood. Instead of the creature however, there was another woman. She took the sorceress into her arms, the gesture speaking of love and forgiveness long overdue.

All around, people were standing or sitting instead of their animal counterparts, trying out their retuned bodies Some of them stood in pairs or groups, some alone but all of them seemed pleased to be free. 

The bright bloom of flowers and grass had spread out, not a much larger piece of the forest covered in eternal spring.

The two men looked at the scene around them and then each other. They had done their part here. The other would be fine. Bant was waiting for them. So were Obi-Wan’s parents. And oh boy, had their story taken another twist.

~*~*~*

_A few years later…_

“Wake up!”

“Let me sleep Obi-Wan. I’m an old man and need my rest…”

“You’re not that old, now get up. Your newest friend is at the door and she won’t let me feed her.”

Grumbling, Qui-Gon got out of bed. He knew exactly whom Obi-Wan was talking about. The stray cat had frequented their garden many days and nights now but didn’t seem to want to stay, only occasionally checking in for food when hunting was low or she wanted a rare session of cuddles. In any case, she was a lovely thing but sometimes a little picky about who she wanted to service her that day. So now he had to give her the food she had come to their house to get.

In the kitchen, Obi-Wan was readying their breakfast, the door to the garden open and a lean tabby cat sitting right in it, meowing loudly for Qui-Gon to set the bowl of tuna in front her instead of Obi-Wan, the little diva.

“Well, I certainly understand where she’s coming from.” Obi-Wan quipped, cracking eggs into the pan on top of the stove. “being served by you is quite lovely.”

Qui-Gon chuckled, wrapping his arms around his husband from behind, placing a row of soft kissed down his neck. “Oh, come on Obi-Love. You were a special case indeed. I am totally biased when it comes to you. So don’t get all foxy on me.”


End file.
